Corn and callus trimmer



Qct. 7, 1952 c. L. POTVIN CORN AND CALLUS TRIMMER Filed Sept. .15, 1951 6 WNMW H W JMW LOH 0) 0 M a? Patented Oct. 7, 1952 r v,QORN ANDEALLUS TRIMMER sand L roa n e o is Application September 13, 195i, SeriaLNo. 246,465 7 (c1. so-ze 6 C a ms,

frills-"invention relates to new and useiu i 1 proyements in corn .and callus trimmersef the generalty e disclosed inhmytcoepending app ica tion, SenNp. 28:292. filed May 1 1.. 1.94 whic issued on ctober:30.,-;195las Patent Nor-2,573,48 .Animportantobjeot ofthe presentyinventi iszte providea corniandea'llus trimmer comnrise ing a simple, inexpensiveublade having means forv \deniountably securing ituin' operative position. in

theheadof the device, nrhereby it may readily ;he; removed for sharpening, when,,desi,re;d, or discarded topermit thesubstitution 011a new blade therefor. l L

A further object .is to, prov-idea .corn and callus trimmer. -.comprising aavisirnplen inexpensive flat blade having a spring clip forsecu-ri-ng it in zpQSir tion on itsfiseat anduwhereby it is. :firmly held thereon. a H H (other ebjectsreside the novel design oithe device; whereby it maymeadily .be molded mm plastic'material to provide awery :neatanda ttracntiveidevice ofthis general type which readily lends itself to manufacture in quantity production at extremelyl'lowcost; :in the specific construotionof theheadof-said device,- -whereby .-aiportion thereof providesdn efiect, awmdow through-which the =userymay readily note. the action .of the blade when moving it into cutting engagement with a corn .or callus; land in the [unique construction .of the blade-and its retainingclip, whereby the blade mayxeadily :be secured ingposition in the :head of tha-devicenor removed therefrom without the use 1 .ofa separate "tool.

These and .othenobjects :of .the invention and the means zior their iattainmentiwillzbe -.m0re ap.-

parent [from the :following description :taken in conneotionxwithzthe accompanying drawings.

, 'Inthe accompanying drawings .there :has been disclosed a structure .designed'rto. carry .out {the various objects of the invention, abutyit. is to be understood that the :invention isinothconfined to theiexact fea-tures shown a's variouslchangesmay be made within rtherscope :of the .-claims1-which follow. I

In the drawings: 2

- Figure 1 is aperspective view of the device showing a blade secured in operative position -'-Figure'2-i;sa pla'nview of Figure 1-; v 1

-=Figure 3 is a detail --sectional view on=-the line 3 ofjFigure 2,' showingthe position of-the eutting edge-orthe blade relative to-f-thebottom face of the head;

- r,lgurej.4 gis anplanrview of one end of the device with the blade removed therefrom;

Figure 5 is an edge ;;vi ew.pf;1?ig ure 4, showing the longitudinally extending ribs provided on the bottom face of the head for facilitating the operation of guiding'theinstrument over the surface .01 a corn or callus;

2 igure 6 151a perspective-view of he blade r tainingclip detached irom the trimmer;

Figure '2 is a view showin the preferr shape. of the blade; and n Figure 8 is a view showing a modified i on? struction wherein'the-blade isof rectangular form.

The novel corn and callus trimmer herein dis:- closed is shown comprising an elongated body, generally designated by thenumeral havingan enlargedahead '3 at one end, and the remaining portion thereof providing a handle 4, for facilitatr ing the operation of manually moving the cutting edge of the ,blade overthe surface of acorn or call-us; x I

The-head 3 hasia recesszfi .thereinhavinga horizontal transparentbottom wall in .at its forwardend providing .a window through which the 'operr ator may readily -Vi8Wi the corn or callus .over which the head'tlof the .instrumentis movled in the operation of trimming-a corn or callus. The rear wall-or edge fi of thewindowportion It deg fines oneside of an elongated slot SI the. opposite side of which is defined :by the lower edge-ii of the rear inclined bottom wall 9' of the recess 5, as will-readilybe understood by reference to Figure 3. 1 The upper inclined surface s H :of the wall portier! 9 constitutes a seat for .a'knife blade 12,

which-preferably is in the form of a parallelogram, as-illustrat'ed in Figure 7; The blade has anedge l 3 which is alignedwith the slot 1, when the blade is positioned'on its seat 1 ,iasillustrated in Figure '2,-th e angle of the-slot corresponding to the angle of the cutting edge'of-theblade 12.

An important feature of the-presentinvention V resides in the means'provided for removablyisupporting the kni-'fe blade-in thehead 3, whereby it may readily be removed therefrom for sharpening, when desired, or'when a new blade is 'todoe l substituted for one that-'has'becomeworn.

Ihemeans provided for thus seeuringtheknife blade in thehead is-best illustrated -in-Figures 3 and 6, and comprises a metallic spring clip, gen erallydesignated loythe numeral l4. The i51ip is provided atits 'forw ard end withan upturned hook .l5 adapted to be received in a small slot or p n 5 pmy s' ei in i k l erme rdrt ofv the blade 12, as shown infligures -Lfi and 3'; An elongated recess l! is provided 'i n the-upper rear portionlof'the1head 3' forrece yin the clip w i b a -lockin en a eme t witl p a' l head. .The rear end of 1 clip [4 is ar :fq wltrd y a d earwarq i we i a fi e -en a ngmember 1, hav n @10 e rd x n m ip r l feda esi t he ceived in an indentation 21 provided in the rear vertical edge of the head, as indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, thereby to frictionally retain the clip in blade locking engagement with the head, when the device is to be used for trimming a corn or the like.

To assure that the blade cannot relatively shift its position in the head 3, when the tool is in use, an abutment shoulder 22 is provided at the upper end of the inclined seat It adapted to be engaged by the upper edge 23 of the blade when the latter is operatively positioned in the head of the trimmer. If deemed necessary, the shoulder 22 may be slightly undercut so as to overlie the edge of the blade to prevent the latter from accidentally lifting from its seat, when the cutting edge of the blade is moved into 1 cutting engagement with a corn or callus.

To secure the blade in position in the head, the hookl of the forward endvof the clip H3 is inserted through the opening it in the blade, and the blade is then placed on the seat H with the free end of the clip positioned substantially as indicatedin dotted lines in Figure 3. The rear portion 19 of the clip may then be pressed into 'locking engagement with the indentation 2i of the head with a snap action, whereby the tension in the clip will draw the upper edge of the blade firmly into engagement with the shoulder 22 so that the blade cannot possibly relatively shift its position in the head when the tool is in use.

It will be noted by reference to Figures 1 and, 2 that the opposed side walls of the recess 5 coincide substantially with the corresponding side edges of the blade, whereby said edges cooperate with the shoulder 22 to prevent any possibility of the blade relatively rotating or shifting its position in the head when secured therein. The head 3 is shown provided with spaced .ribs 26 and 30 adapted to engage the anatomy of the patient adjacent to the sides of the corn or callus to facilitate moving the knife edge over the surface thereof. 7 v v In a toolof the character herein disclosed, it is essential that the cutting edge of the blade be maintained sharp at all times to, facilitate trimming the surfaceof a corn orwcallus with a minimum of effort. Should the blade become dulled, it may be resharpene'd for further use, but ordinarily it is discarded and a new blade substituted therefor because of the simple and inexpensive construction of the blades, whereby j they maybe purchased at extremely low cost ,in'

amanner similar to conventional safety razor blades. v a r The entire body 2 of the trimmer, including the head 3 and the handle 4, is preferably con structedof a suitable transparent plastic mate;-

rial of, which there are now several readily,

available, thereby providing such a device which is substantially self-cleaning and attractive in appearance.

In Figure 8 there is illustrated a slightly modi fled construction wherein the blade is rectangular in configuration and has a cutting edge 25 aligned with a slot 26, corresponding tofthe slot I in the form shown in the previous-figures. The form shown in Figure 8 has a head 27; and

V a handle portion 28,'and a clip 29 having a hook 3| and a finger-engaging member 32 is provided for. removably securing the blade 24 on its seat in the head 21. Y 7

The foregoing detailed description has been given for'clearn'ess of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

I claimas my invention:

. i. In a device for trimming corns,"call uses, and the like, comprising an elongated body provided at one end with an enlarged head having a recess therein terminating at its bottom in an elongated opening disposed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the head, said recess having an inclined blade supporting 'wall, the lower edge of which defines one side of said elongated opening, a knife blade having a cutting edge on one end seated on said inclined wall with its cutting ,edge' projecting slightly through said elongated opening, and a spring clip having one end engaged claim 2, wherein thelfspring clip has. a hook at its forward end receivable; in "an opening in the blade, and the opposite' end. of-said clip having a downwardly and forwardly extending portion adapted :to be received in an indentation in a wall of'the head by a snap action, when pressure is applied to said clip. I

'4. In a device for. trimming corns, calluse's, and the like, comprising'a'n elongated body provided at one end with an enlarged head having a recess therein comprising an inclmed'bottom wall portion and a horizontal bottom wallportion, said wall portions having their. contiguous edges spaced apart to provide an elongated opening disposed obliquely to the longitudinal, axis the blade whensecured in said head, av spring clip having an upturned hook at its forward end receivable in an openingin theintermediate porv tion of the blade, andmeans on theropposite end of said clip for lockingly engaging the rear. wall of the head with a snap action, and whereby the cli isplaced under tension to firmly retain the I blade .onsaid inclined wallportion with'itsrear edge engaged with said longitudinal shoulders. 5. 'A corn and callus trimmer according to claim' i, whereinthe horizontal bottom wall ;.por-,

tion of said recess is transparentto-enable the operator to view the action of the knife blade on the corn or callus being trimmed.

6. A corn and .callus,trimmerzaccordhig to claim; 4, wherein the. spring clip isreceived in a recess extending rearwardly from said inclined wall, whereby saidclip when inblade-securing engagement with the head; '-W .1 exert a force on said blade to firmly retain -itin engagementwith said inclined wall portionand the shoulder vided at the upper rear end thereof.- 1 v v I i flCL UD'LPOTYIN.

'No re'ferences'f citedd 's pro 

